Sky and Stone – Live Online Course – November 2026

Reading the Sun, Moon and Stars in Ireland’s Ancient Monuments

Understand the winter solstice before it happens.

Why does Newgrange face the midwinter sunrise? What can the passages at Dowth tell us about the moon? Could the builders of Knowth have counted time using lunar cycles?

Join Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland for Sky and Stone, a four-week live online course exploring astronomical alignments at Irish megalithic sites.

We will bring together landscape, observation, archaeology and mythology to investigate how Ireland’s ancient monuments connect with the sky. Along the way, you will learn how to assess an alignment claim – distinguishing what has been measured, what the astronomy allows and what remains a hypothesis.

Dates and times

Wednesdays 4, 11, 18 and 25 November 2026
8–10pm Irish time • Live on Zoom

Attend live and join the discussion, or watch the recordings afterwards.

Your journey through the four evenings

Session One – Why the Sky Mattered: Reading the Irish Sky
Discover the changing paths of the sun and moon, the seasonal turning points and the lunar standstill cycle. We will establish a practical approach to reading a monument’s orientation and begin a simple observation exercise you can try from home.

Session Two – Balor’s Strand: The Boyne’s Edge and the Solstice Sunrise
Explore the standing stones at Baltray, near the mouth of the Boyne, and their relationship with Rockabill and the winter solstice sunrise. Observation meets landscape and legend as we examine the evidence for an astronomical alignment.

Session Three – The Darkening of the Sky: Dowth, the Moon and the Turning Nodes
Investigate Dowth’s passages, its name and mythology, and the proposed connections with solar and lunar events. We will explore the moon’s longer cycles and consider how they might help us understand this remarkable monument.

Session Four – The Counters of Time: Knowth, the Lunar Months and the Cygnus Enigma
Examine Knowth’s passage orientations and theories about lunar timekeeping. We will finish by exploring the Cygnus Enigma – a hypothesis linking Newgrange, the swan constellation and the mythology of Óengus and Caer.

What’s included

• Four live online sessions of approximately two hours each.

• Opportunities to ask questions and take part in discussion.

• Illustrated course notes for all four sessions.

• Recordings of the sessions, with 12 months’ access.

• A practical framework for exploring astronomical alignment claims.

Who is this course for?

Anyone curious about Ireland’s ancient monuments and their relationship with the sun, moon and stars.

You do not need to have attended a previous Mythical Ireland course or studied astronomy. We will build the essential ideas together before exploring the evidence and interpretations in greater depth.

Returning participants will discover a new perspective on familiar landscapes, with astronomy at the centre of our enquiry.

About Anthony Murphy

Anthony Murphy is an author, photographer and guide based in the Boyne Valley, and the founder of Mythical Ireland. He is co-author, with Richard Moore, of Island of the Setting Sun: In Search of Ireland’s Ancient Astronomers.

This course draws on his years of observing and photographing celestial events at Ireland’s monuments, alongside archaeological surveys, astronomical research and Irish mythological sources.

What previous online course participants say

Feedback from participants in Anthony’s previous online courses:

“Anthony has provided an excellent framework for learning more detail about Ireland's ancient landscape, myths and symbols, key figures and scholarly work.”

Marianna Dunn – Google review

“The bibliography at the end of each lecture allows us to explore 'rabbit holes' on our own. […] It added clarity and tied information together in a comprehensive manner. I highly recommend this course for anyone trying to understand Irish mythology. I look forward to his next sessions.”

Marilyn Whitney – Google review

Book your place

Early bird price: €199 until 11:59pm Irish time on Wednesday 21 October 2026.
Standard price afterwards: €229
Mythical Ireland patrons save a further €10.

Your booking includes all four evenings, illustrated notes and 12 months’ access to the recordings.

Join us this November and approach the winter solstice with a deeper understanding of the sky above Ireland’s ancient stones.